Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Prometric Practice Exam

If a patient keeps getting out of bed and you decide to restrain them for safety, what is this an example of?

1. Assault

2. Battery

3. Restraint

4. Negligence

The correct answer is: Battery

In this scenario, the act of physically restraining a patient who repeatedly gets out of bed is best categorized as battery. Battery involves the unlawful use of force against another person, which results in physical contact. In a healthcare setting, even if the intent is to keep the patient safe, applying restraints without proper justification can be considered an actionable offense if it violates the patient’s rights to autonomy and freedom. While the other options—assault, restraint, and negligence—address different concepts, they do not fully capture the nature of this action. Assault refers to the threat or attempt to cause physical harm, restraint pertains to the act of limiting a person’s movement for their safety or management, and negligence involves failing to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances. In this case, the direct physical action taken on the patient aligns more accurately with the definition of battery, emphasizing the importance of understanding patients' rights and the legal implications of using physical force in healthcare.